arXiv:2005.04617 · IEEE Transactions on Quantum Engineering

Attacking the Quantum Internet

Takahiko Satoh, Shota Nagayama, Shigeya Suzuki, Takaaki Matsuo, Michal Hajdušek, Rodney Van Meter

Published Jan 1, 2021• 57 citations

Abstract

The main service provided by the coming quantum Internet will be creating entanglement between any two quantum nodes. We discuss and classify attacks on quantum repeaters, which will serve roles similar to those of classical Internet routers. We have modeled the components for and structure of quantum repeater network nodes. With this model, we point out attack vectors, then analyze attacks in terms of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. While we are reassured about the promises of quantum networks from the confidentiality point of view, integrity and availability present new vulnerabilities not present in classical networks and require care to handle properly. We observe that the requirements on the classical computing/networking elements affect the systems’ overall security risks. This component-based analysis establishes a framework for further investigation of network-wide vulnerabilities.

DOI: 10.1109/tqe.2021.3094983

Related papers

Layer-Wise Security Framework and Analysis for the Quantum Internet

Zebo Yang, Ali Ghubaish, Raj Kumar Jain +5 more

With its significant security potential, the quantum internet is poised to revolutionize technologies like cryptography and communications. Although it boasts enhanced security over traditional networks, the quantum internet still encounters unique security challenges essential for safeguarding its Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA). This study explores these challenges by analyzing the vulnerabilities and the corresponding mitigation strategies across different layers of the quantum internet, including physical, link, network, and application layers. We assess the severity of potential attacks, evaluate the expected effectiveness of mitigation strategies, and identify vulnerabilities within diverse network configurations, integrating both classical and quantum approaches. Our research highlights the dynamic nature of these security issues and emphasizes the necessity for adaptive security measures. The findings underline the need for ongoing research into the security dimension of the quantum internet to ensure its robustness, encourage its adoption, and maximize its impact on society.

arXiv:2501.06989IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in CommunicationsMay 8, 20257 citations

Classification of quantum internet security vulnerabilities by layer

Attila Nagy, Márta Takács

The quantum internet presents unprecedented communication opportunities alongside significant security challenges. This study conducts a layer-based analysis of its vulnerabilities using the classical Confidentiality-Integrity-Availability (CIA) triad as a framework. Security threats are examined across five layers—physical, link, network, transport, and application—highlighting their impact and associated defense mechanisms. This structured approach enables precise mapping of attack surfaces and provides a foundation for designing robust quantum network security solutions.

IEEE International Symposium on Intelligent Systems and Informatics (SISY)Sep 25, 20250 citations

Designing the quantum Internet (Conference Presentation)

Rodney Van Meter

The coming Quantum Internet will bring us new capabilities: advanced cryptographic functions, high-precision sensor networks for uses such as high-resolution astronomy, and secure distributed quantum computing. Experimental progress on the components for quantum repeaters is moving at a dizzying rate, and theorists have proposed various approaches to managing errors to create high-fidelity quantum entanglement. Building quantum networks presents different challenges from building quantum links. I will give an overview of these issues, then discuss the even more daunting challenge of creating a network of networks -- an internetwork -- and show how our simulations are guiding the design of a true quantum Internet. These challenges include routing (path selection), resource management such as multiplexing techniques, and security considerations within individual networks. Recently, we have discovered that it is possible for a single hijacked quantum repeater to frame other repeaters as malicious, substantially disrupting network operations. All of these issues are magnified when discussing autonomous networks that exchange information, known as an internetwork. In internetworking, not only is the scale of the problem daunting, but heterogeneous technologies will be deployed and demand interoperability at the logical level as well as the physical. Network operators also prefer to maintain the privacy of their own network operations, requiring mechanisms including connection establishment to operate with minimal sharing of information across network boundaries.

SPIE Quantum Information Science and TechnologyOct 11, 20180 citations

Designing tomorrow's quantum internet

Munro W. J., Piparo Nicolo' Lo, Josephine Dias +2 more

Principles of quantum mechanics promise a future quantum internet that connects a wide variety of quantum devices together in a coherent and secure fashion. It is well known that due to the size of this quantum internet, quantum repeaters will be a critical part in a similar fashion to the importance of repeaters in today's telecommunications internet. Given the inherent differences between classical and quantum physics, it is essential to establish how a quantum internet will function including how we route information as well as the functionality quantum repeaters will need to provide. Our considerations here go far beyond quantum key distribution and instead focus on a true network of connected quantum devices, including computers and sensors. We show how the efficient operation of such quantum networks relies on the seamless integration of both quantum and classical communication resources.

Jun 8, 20220 citations

Designing tomorrow's quantum internet

William J. Munro, Nicoló Lo Piparo, Josephine Dias +2 more

AVS Quantum ScienceJun 1, 202219 citations

The Quantum Internet: The Foundations and Challenges of Future-Proof Communication

Attila Balázs Nagy, Beatrix Fregán, Zoltán Rajnai

As quantum computers advance rapidly, traditional encryption methods are becoming vulnerable, making it essential to explore fundamentally new communication technologies such as the quantum internet. The quantum internet is a revolutionary technology that uses the principles of quantum mechanics to transmit data securely and quickly. Unlike classical networks, quantum networks use quantum entanglement and quantum key sharing (QKD), thus providing a higher level of security against future cyber threats. This article presents the technological foundations of the quantum internet, the architecture of quantum networks, and the infrastructure challenges, including quantum repeaters and network scaling. We also discuss industrial applications of the quantum internet, with a focus on the financial, government, and healthcare sectors. The quantum internet is still under development, but it is expected to become a new standard for communication in the coming decades. The study highlights the technological readiness and practical potential of the quantum internet, pointing to a secure and scalable future in communication networks.

IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Engineering Systems (INES)Jun 11, 20250 citations